Book 1: Chapter 3: Irene's Estate
We finally arrived at Irene’s dwelling.
Due to her background as an ex-noble-s daughter, her mansion is quite large. It’s already on the level of foreign celebrities on TV back in my world.
“It might be late for me to say this, but I’m sorry……that it has lead into this.”
While we’re in the middle of our dinner, Irene suddenly bowed her head to me.
“Uhm, why? What for?”
“For the matter of buying you.”
“But you bought me so that I won’t be sold to some unknown people, right?”
“It can also be put that way, but still, it was your looks that I……never mind. Still, I didn’t ask about your opinion or circumstances first and acted on my own. For that, I’m sorry.”
Irene once again bowed her head in self-condemnation.
I, at that time, was still in shock to do anything, unknown to the approaching cliff before me. It was she who saved me from falling.
So, it was never Irene’s fault.
“Again, you don’t have to apologize.”
I waved my neck side to side.
“You saved me, and that’s all that it matters. Also, I’m your slave now, albeit the sum you paid greater than my value. While I’m not very good at doing chores, but I’ll at least do my best to serve you.”
“Slave……?”
Irene seems to have just caught up.
Why is she acting like that?
“I certainly bought you, but I have no intention of making you a slave.”
“Eh……?”
Her next words are too excessive to fit in the processing module of my little brain.
Why? She has paid a lot of money to obtain me. I have to at least give her something in return to attain balance.
“To be honest with you, if you want to get out of this place, I’m okay with it.”
“You’re setting me free just like that?”
“You don’t want it?’
“No! it’s just……that…then, why did you buy me in the first place?”
“Why indeed……it’s because of your looks. You have black eyes and black hair. I just don’t want you to be handed over to anyone.”
“The more the reason, you shouldn’t let me go. So why?”
“I don’t want to treat you like a slave. I have been in several trials and tribulations. I don’t want someone to experience it once again, at least not on my watch.”
“Irene……”
I looked straight into her eyes.
“Not only did you have a beautiful face, but also have a beautiful heart as well.”
“B-beautiful? M-my face!?”
“Yes. I saw it earlier when your mask got removed. It was so beautiful that I wouldn’t ever believe it exists if I didn’t see your face.”
“Y-you’re joking, right……? Saying my face is beautiful-”
“I’m not joking. I am a person who is always sincere when it comes to women. That said, I don’t have any romantic experience, though.”
I gave a dry laugh in self-derision, but Irene suddenly stood up and approached me by the side.
Though she is a beautiful woman, she is wearing her mask from a while ago. If she suddenly charges towards me with that thing on, even I will feel a little worried.
“……Uhm, that……what did you say just now?”
“You have a beautiful face.”
“……no, not that.”
“I’m always sincere when it comes to women?”
“The one next to it.”
“That I don’t have a romantic experience?”
“Yes, that one……are you perhaps……a v-virgin?”
That last word of hers was too soft to hear, but already enough to give me a big shock.
Realizing my mind got stalled for a bit, I quickly probed for an answer.
“Oh, yes. I ’m a virgin.”
“…I made a great purchase.”
Irene’s reaction was not what I expected.
Judging from the aesthetics of this world, virgins should be shamed upon. She even spoke it herself. I was already expecting the lines ‘unpleasant’ or ‘totally uncool’ from her, but to think that it is not what she really feels……
“Haaa, haaa……a virgin……I see……”
Another reaction I didn’t expect from her.
Irene’s breaths became rough, and her body became fidgety, particularly in her crotch area.
“That’s right.”
I affirmed her once more, this time, a little anxious.
“Why don’t you take off your mask first?”
“Take it off!?”
“It is a waste trying to hide your beautiful face. Plus, I think it’s giving you a hard time breathing.”
I said in worry. Who knows if this woman is asthmatic or not?
“You…… you kept on praising my face since earlier. Are you sure this isn’t your way just to please your buyer?”
“Nope, totally not.”
As per my suggestion, she took off her mask slowly, with shaking hands.
Then carefully placed it with utmost care on the table as if it was a fragile vase.
Then, she slowly cranked her head up to me.
“Beautiful……”
I spoke as I spent the only adjective available in my dictionary to describe her look. Her face is undeniably the most beautiful I have ever seen.
She looked away from my stare immediately as if afraid of something, but I was already too mesmerized to notice.
To be honest, it was already an honor for me to be in the same room as her.
“……You…… You don’t really feel disgusted with me?”
“Why would I? Rather, I’m already feeling blessed, just witnessing your beauty.”
“R-really? Thank you. Though we only met for a short time, I’m glad that I met you.”
She said as she pulled me to her embrace.
I could already feel her voluptuous bust getting squished on my own.
And as a bonafide virgin as I am, I couldn’t help but get erect.
I felt my pants quickly bulging like a tent.
And because her body is in close contact with mine, Irene felt it too.
But right after that, her eyes opened wide in surprise.
“I-I’m sorry……!”
I immediately apologized and separated myself from her.
Shit, there’s no excuse for me now. What I did was just rude.
But can I help it? It’s a man’s nature, after all. I’m sure she’ll forgive me, right?
Still, Irene will definitely hate me for this.
As I turned my eyes toward her in fear,
“……ufu”
She gave a sweet smile, and even laughed herself a little.
She’s still staring at me, but now her cheeks were dyed a tinge of red.
“That………. it turned out like this because of me, right?”
“Y-yes……it’s disgusting, isn’t it?”
“There’s no way that’s true!”
She loudly denied.
“That’s not true! In fact, I’m really happy! For you to truly feel this way for me, it is I who should apologize for not believing you. I’m sorry, and thank you.”
While apologizing for the fourth time, she burst into tears.
I wipe her tears with my fingers while thinking that her crying face is also beautiful.
“To think you were really drawn into my appearance……This is the first time this has happened to me.”
Because the sense of beauty was reversed in this world, I think it’s her first time to get praised genuinely.
“Thank you, Tomo. I’m really happy.”
“No, I should also thank you. It was you who kept me away from my impending doom after all. If it were someone else who bought me, then I-”
“ufufu, you’re a strange person, aren’t you?”
“Ah, you finally smiled.”
I finally saw her genuinely smile for the first time. She’s always giving that overworked office worker vibe, and it’s giving me the bad vibes since then.
A beautiful person like her should smile like this all the time.
“Tomo, from now on, you can stay here as much as you want. Treat my home like your own. I’ll have a maid assigned to help you with everything you’ll need later on.”
“I-is that really fine with you!?”
“Yes, indeed. These events have made me tired, so I’ll be going to my room first.”
“I understand.”
“Oh, and welcome to Blossom City.”
She said before I was led to my room.